McGee takes one last beating on Kyle Field

COLLEGE STATION — Back when he was running Texas A&M’s old-school option offense, quarterback Stephen McGee typically ran at linebackers, not away from them.

That’s why it was no surprise on Thursday night when McGee stood in and took a beating from his former teammates — as their way of saying goodbye. Only this time from water balloons, as the Aggies wrapped up spring drills on Kyle Field.

Hey, they know he’s about to sign an NFL contract — McGee’s days of earning bruises at A&M are history.

McGee is expected to be a mid-round selection this weekend in the NFL draft, and it couldn’t happen to a better representative of Aggieland.

He signed on to throw the football as a record-setting passer out of Burnet High, only to cowboy up and faithfully run the option for a couple of years when then-coach Dennis Franchione suddenly fell in love with it following the 2004 season.

McGee finally earned the chance to show off his arm under first-year coach Mike Sherman last season, only to get hurt in the second game against New Mexico — while throwing a pass.

McGee, of course, wasn’t always perfect, evidenced by his clunker in the season-opening loss to Arkansas State last year, and his occasionally over-the-top yapping at defenders following a play.

McGee was so fiercely proud to wear the maroon and white, however, sometimes he simply couldn’t help himself — and fans appreciated him for it.

That’s also why I believe there’s a decent chance he winds up with the Houston Texans this weekend. Texans coach Gary Kubiak, who scratched out a good living as a backup quarterback in the NFL, must see a young version of himself in McGee.

Both were good quarterbacks who didn’t play on very good teams at A&M. In fact, Kubiak’s teams from 1980-82 lost more than they won.

Still, here’s what former A&M linebacker Scott Polk once told me about Kubiak:

“Gary would take some good licks, but he’d always come back to lead the team.”

Sound familiar?

And this from one of Kubiak’s offensive lineman at A&M, Ken Reeves:

“We were in Austin (in 1982) and Texas was just beating the snot out of us. It was Gary’s senior year. He was getting beat up pretty bad, but never once did he get down on the team. He just stood in there and was tough as nails.”

Sound familiar?

Kubiak, too, has a soft spot for hardcore Aggies such as himself, and Texans owner Bob McNair knows Houston is home to more former students than anywhere else. Which certainly wouldn’t hurt ticket sales, especially in drafting a church-going guy who’s clean as a whistle off the field.

“With the 13th pick of the third round, the Houston Texans select quarterback Stephen McGee of Texas A&M …”

That’s a real possibility this weekend — and, if so, celebratory yells will be heard 100 miles up Highway 6.